If I were . . .

Gm of any team in any sport, these would be my beginning principles.

1.  Coach and Systematic Approach

Hand pick a coach with whom you share the same overall systematic approach to the game.  So that both you and the coach have the ability to step back and follow the same certain principles set down before intense personnel decisions have to be made.  Someone smart and confident, and has enough patience to allow a systematic approach of the game to work.  When hiring this coach and agreeing to the system, you are saying “no player will be above the team, no player will be above the system.”

This is the most important decision a team can make, and the beginning principles would need to be both overall and narrow.  For instance in the overall issues you would decide:  Do we run a west coast or run driven offense;  do we value big or speedy lineman;  do we rely on power or contact hitters; do we play inside out or movement offense.  Then you move to more narrow issues like what kind of character do you ask your scouts to zero in on, what kind of drills and offseason workouts to enhance precision, are left handed players miles and away better than right handed players at certain positions, etc.

This can go on forever and should.  There should be a well thought out system in place that gives you an advantage over all other teams who wing it.

2.  Playoff Mentality

This one is sort of weird, because you would think that it is really obvious.  But a lot of teams go through the season with simply a hope to get into the playoffs and then MAYBE move forward.  It is not in the organization’s way of thinking that making it to the playoffs is the beginning of the real season – not the end of it.  You have put your heart into the offseason, practices and regular season games to get to this starting point.  The playoffs is where it all begins.

That means there is no sense of accomplishment.  No loss of focus, because the goal of the season still remains empty.  But something does happen at the end of the regular season.  The real season starts and your team ought to be able to smell it and be hungry for it.  This can be influenced by environment, but also you have to make sure you draft, sign and trade for hungry players.

There is also a second aspect to the playoff mentality.  The One Game At A Time mentalaty  A mentally strong team knows what game they are playing and what they want from the game.  They know games aren’t won on paper, in the media or in Vegas (except for in the NBA).  They don’t come out and play last week’s game or next week’s game.  They, as a team, exist to demolish this weeks opponent.  They get up for the game they are playing in.

Obviously the Dallas Cowboys are the worst offender of this rule.

 3.  Freshness

Having a long term system that is known and followed by the team can have the unwanted side effect of stagnating creativity.  With this I might give the illustration of Devon Harris.  He was in a Maverick’s uniform for a while.  But the people chosen to lead the organization had a specific role they tried to push him in.  Not that that is bad, but when you see talent and know that it is there yet not coming out in all the ways you thought it could, you should then readjust your own glasses and try different things with him.

This quality in an organization is all about not getting caught standing flat footed.  Just because you have certain long term principles you follow does not mean there is no room for creativity and experimentation.  John Danks goes to the White Sox and picks up a cutter which really helps him in his second year.  Someone had to be convinced a cutter would really help him, convince him and then have him add this to his arsenal.

Freshness is about eyeing the players, the team and yourself and then moving beyond the trenches you have dug for yourself that are not working or not working as well as possible.  You should always keep a team on their toes, it has a way of making the opposing team the one always chasing you. 

4.  Irrelevant – Relevant Media

Never allow the media to effect, or should I say infect, your decisions.  If something is not working right you should have a firm grasp of why it is not working.   The media is not there to think, it is there to feed an unhealthy appetite of newspaper columns, blogs, talk radio and television.  The media is DUMB.  It does not think more than one step ahead – if that.  Consider it irrelevant when it comes to anything involving personnel decisions.

I think the Texas Rangers may actually make a number of their decisions based on how they think the media will react.  It’s as if whenever they make a decision the media is in the room looking at them.  Which is why oftentimes they look like a chicken with its head cut off.  The media is there for interacting with your fan base, that part of the media is relevant.  The media that thinks it can and should think for you is not.

5.  Crisp Short Window Transactions

These are situations that shoot up for a short time every now and again while not always looking the same.  Sometimes you’ll have a Milton Bradely on the free agent market not getting any interest, sometimes Eric Gagne, sometimes there will be a team willing to trade you Travis Hafner for Einar Diaz, sometimes Manny Rameriz will be on the market being short shrifted with a two year offer, sometimes a team will be willing to trade you Kevin Garnett for a bunch of cheetos and Al Jefferson.

When these spontaneous short windowed situations occur, you must have the vision and capacity to capitalize.  Teams can rise and fall with how these situations turn out.

6.  Winning at The Edges

Pretty simple, just find those small areas were you can gain an honest advantage against your opponent.  Whether in certain drills, certain odd usage of the rule book.  Whether it be in the locker room, on the field or in the front office, search high and low for that HONEST edge and take it.

Terrell Owens To Sign Extension

The 34 year old Terrell Owens now has a chance to retire a Cowboy.  The Three Year Extension is going to be in the neighborhood of the extension Randy Moss signed, somewhere in the 9 million a year category.  No word if the contract is constructed in one year increments like his last contract.  The signing probably makes sense, but I would rather have a less talented team than have Terrell Owens on my team.

The Four Horsemen

Our four major teams all have business to attend to this weekend.  Let’s start with the Mavs:

The Mavericks played horribly in game 2 and come back home in need of 2 victories.  The Mavericks have played a total of 4 halfs in this series, giving up 40, 64, 67, and 60 points respectively each half.  The first one (the 40) is good, the rest are abysmal.  My three Keys to the game going forward are:

1.  Fast break points.  They have to go up for the Mavs and down for the Hornets.  In Game 1 the Mavs had 10 fast break points, the Hornets 15.  In Game 2 the Mavs had 13, the Hornets had 29.  The Mavs need to score in the 20 to 30 range and hold the Hornets under 20.

2.  Play defense.  This shouldn’t be as hard as the Mavs are making it out to be.  And I have some concern that Avery just doesn’t look like he knows how to coach this team anymore, the attitude to play defense just isn’t there.  The easy baskets and points in the paint for the Hornets are out of hand.  Also the turnovers run the New Orlean’s way as well.  In Game 1 the Hornets only turned the ball over 8 times, the Mavs 14.  In Game 2 The Hornets 6, The Mavs 15.  The Mavs should be causing more turnovers and allow less points in the paint.  In Game 1 they allowed 36, in Game 2 they allowed 48, that’s terrible.

3.  Jason Terry.  In Game 1 he shot 3-7, in game to he shot 5-8.  He has to take more attempts than seven and eight.  Then he has to make most of them.  What has happened to him since he received his contract I don’t know, but he has to start doing the things he did in the run to the finals.  I don’t know how he lost it, but most point guards have the shot where the beat their man, but when they see someone hanging around the basket pull up and float the shot in.  Jason Terry did have that shot, it’s a shot you have to practice.  I don’t know if he just doesn’t practice it anymore, but he was good at it and now he just doesn’t attempt it anymore.  Shots like that and three pointers he has to attempt and make.  Jason Terry has to become a scorer, then that will open things up for everyone else while Dirk and him are on the floor. 

This men have to grow some intestinal fortitude on the way from New Orleans to Dallas if they want to have a chance in this series, they need to be the aggressors.

Now the Stars:

Marty Turco was good, not great.  I’m glad they’ll be taking on the San Jose Sharks, it gives them a chance to go back to Caly and play two road games to start off a series.  This series will go 6 games, don’t know who wins.  But offense will be the key.  The Stars were the aggressors against the Ducks.  They will need to continue that, winning the battles along the boards and flying to loose pucks.

Now for the Cowboys:

If no one falls unexpectedly to pick #22 I trade the pick and pick #61 if I can for a first rounder next year and an earlier pick in round 2 this year.  I then pick a WR at pick #28.  I like Mario Manningham although there have been character issues and concerns with him.  If his character checks out I pick him.  If not, going with a Malcom Kelly isn’t too bad.  I don’t like the DeSean Jackson pick just because of the overvaluing of a punt returner.  I then try and go for a corner with my early second rounder and a running back with one of my later picks.  Obviously I wouldn’t go to far away from my pick the best player on the board, but I would lean toward the WR, CB and RB positions.

As for the Rangers:

Pitching, starting and bullpen need to work together in order to win.  Until they do this we won’t go on any prolonged winning streak, but we will go on prolonged losing streaks as we are in right now.  And just for fun I’m going to point out the guys I think should be on the team looking at the rest of this season.  Catalanotto.  Botts.  Kinsler.  Young.  Blaylock.  Hamilton.  Bradley.  Vasquez.  Duran.  Murphy.  Byrd.  Salty then Laird.  Millwood, Padilla, Jennings (if only to trade or cut in mid season, unless something unforeseen happens here), Gabbard, McCarthy, Loe, Rupe, Littleton, Franscisco, Wright, Benoit, Wilson.  And if had to pick I might bring a young lefty up in place of Loe and bring Loe up when a righty was hurt.

New Year’s Joke

So have you heard the Joke of this new year?  You know the one about the Giants being on a roll and ready to beat those disintegrating Cowboys.  Ya, stop me if you heard this one last year just before game 9 on the NFL schedule.  Oh the Giants have a better feel defensively now!  Oh how they put pressure on the quarterback!  Oh how Eli has just looked outstanding!  That a boy, let’s give Eli a butt pat (you know their so hard on him in New York, always comparing him to Peyton, you know that’s just not fair).

I know the Cowboys didn’t look great ending the regular season.  And I know Terrell Owens is a “game time” decision.  But everyone who thinks the Giants have a rat behind’s chance of winning, I gaurantee have been smoking something more than the nice cigars they received for Christmas.  The Cowboys are better, have been better and will be better than those rotten Giants.  Did they play a good game against New England? Sure.  Did they beat a team in Tampa Bay who could only manage 9 wins in an extremely weak division?  Sure.  Then again they won 10 games in a very tough division.  Good team?  Yes.  Better than Cowboys?  Uhhh, No.

More

Hopefully I’ll write more than I have been lately.  The Mavericks are floating along, the Stars have been rejuvenated offensively, the Rangers have made good moves but still lack the finishing touches.  And the Cowboys will win this weekend.  Maybe there’s just nothing more to say.

Recent 12-22-07

Recently things have gotten out of hand.  But this is the year of out of hand, because now we know all of sports is rigged.  From Floyd Landis to Bill Belichick to Marion Jones to Shawn Merriman to Tim Donaghy to David Stern to Roger Clemens to Rodney Harrison to Barry Bonds and Bud Selig.  And remember nobody has or can yet be caught with a drug test for HGH.  We’ve let these bozo’s take control – we keep coming to the games and they juice up to make millions off of us.  But oh well, here is some of the semi-recent events that have taken place and I haven’t blogged about yet.

1.  The Mitchell Report

2.  20 FSU players suspended for academic cheating scandal.

3.  Vick gets 23 months in prison.

4.  Bobby Petrino skips town not 1 year in to a five year deal with Atlanta.

5.  John Smoltz and Curt Schilling speak out demanding that Roger speak out if he is innocent, I don’t think they think he is.  But does it matter what I think that they think or we think that they think if he thinks he isn’t.

6.  The Grimsley affidavit is unsealed revealing the biggest suprise of all – Grimsley suspected Jose Canseco of steriod use.  Hmmm, thanks Grims.

7.  Jessica shows up to the Cowboy game in a pink, Romo jersey.  Romo is shot down into mortality (earning 3 points in my fantasy league and costing me a shot at the championship title).  T.O. comes out saying Mickey was right women make you weak in the knees Tony don’t let Jessica near you for the next 2 months.

8.  Brian Westbrook, against my beloved Cowboys, has a chance to score a touchdown at the end of the game, but instead kneels down at the 1 yard line (again an action that led to me not advancing in my fantasy league playoffs).

9.  Important to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area – the Mavs and the Stars, while not doing great, are still in their respective division leads or at least within a game.

10.  Can it be that for the second year in a row the Texas Longhorn’s have the best player in college basketball – DJ Augustin.

Okay consider it blogged.  Oh and Merry Christmas! 

 

 

 

 

NFL Week 10 Schedule 2007

Last week didn’t go so well.  This week I’m putting the points up, but I am mainly just trying to pick the right winner.

BUF @ MIA – Buffalo Wins and covers.
-3          +3

STL @ NORL – New Orleans Wins, doesn’t cover.
+12       -12

ATL @ CAR – ATL wins.  or At least I’m taking ATL with the points.
+4.5     -4.5

PHI @ WAS – Philly Wins.
+3         -3

MIN @ GRE – Green Bay Wins, doesn’t cover.
+6          -6

CHI @ OAK -Chicago wins, doesn’t cover.
-3.5      +3.5

DAL @ NYG – Dallas Wins and covers
-1.5       +1.5

DET @ ARI – Detroit Wins.
+1         -1

IND @ SDC – Indy wins and covers.
-3.5      +3.5

JAC @ TITANS – Titans win and cover.
+4         -4

DEN @ KC – Take Denver
+3         -3

CLE @ PITT – Steelers win and don’t cover.
+10       -10

CIN @ BAL - Bengals win.
+3.5      -3.5

SF @ SEA – Seattle wins and doesn’t cover.
+10    -10

The Games Week 9

I’ve tried to develop a reliable system.  I’m going to pick the nfl games for week 9, and see how it turns out.  Maybe I could make a few bucks if it turns out I can do this.

 Wash @ NYJ -  Washington wins and covers.
   -3.5          +3.5

GB @ Kan – Green Bay wins.
+2         -2

Arizona @ Tampa Bay - Tampa Bay wins and covers.
  +3.5              -3.5

Carolina @ Tenn – Carolina Wins.
+4                -4

San F @ ATL -San Fran Wins.
+3            -3

Jac @ New ORL – New Orleans wins and covers.
+3.5      -3.5

Den @ Det – Denver wins.
+3         -3

Cinn @ Buff – Cinnci wins and covers.
-1           +1

San Diego @ Minn – San Diego wins and covers.
-7.5                 +7.5

SEA @ Clev – Seattle wins and covers.
-1.5       +1.5

New Eng @ Indy – Take the Indy points.
-6.5                +6.5

Hou @ Oakland – Oakland wins and doesn’t cover.
+3          -3

Dal @ Philly – Philly wins.
-3         +3

The four games I would definitely take are:  Green Bay, Tampa Bay, San Francisco and Cinncy games.  Now let’s see how I do.

What To Say?

The Cowboys play in a tough division, but seem to be the cream of the crop in the NFC.  Their next three games against Philly, New York and Washington will go a long way in deciding if we:  A.  Win our division.  B.  Win the Conference.

There’s something to be said for a Texas Fireballer with a cocky attitude.  Spring Texas native, Josh Beckett, has the stuff and the mean streak to deliver in the clutch.  He was picked second overall in the 1999 draft by the Florida Marlins.  One of the reasons the Tampa Bay Devil Rays didn’t pick him first was his brashness on and off the field.  Even though Blake Beaven was picked about 15 spots lower, there is a lot that seems similiar between these two players.  I think there is more than a good chance that Blake will become the best pitcher to be drafted and developed by the Rangers.

The hockey season has started. 

Now that the Ranger’s have a young stable of reasonable talent at the big leagues and in the minors the question arises should we trade 3 quality young players for let’s say Johann Santana?  My list of Ranger Colts that shouldn’t be traded for a high salary guy include:  Ian Kinsler, Eric Hurley, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Chris Davis and I might add C.J. Wilson.  If it’s something like Volquez, Duran and Andrus, I’d have to consider it very hard and then pull the trigger.  Then offer Santana the gobs of money you saved by trading Tiexiera while your payroll wasn’t big to begin with.  Tough decisions, but at least we have young talent now.

Oh and by the way Jarrod Saltalamacchia is a catcher, not a firstbaseman.  Which I guess makes it all the worse when Wakamatsu leaves town before he can work with Jarrod on his catching this winter.

Eddie Belfour was the man, period. Actually two or three or four periods……actually six 

Even though Boston’s the better team I thought Colorado would at least give them a run for their money

Some things are ironic.  Al Gore getting a Nobel Peace Prize for his environmental work is one of them.  One of the main reasons Al Gore lost the 2000 election was because of the votes that the Green Party’s Ralph Nader took away from Al Gore.  That’s right a lot of environmentalists didn’t see Gore as a great environmentalist.  I guess Nobel is smarter than they were.

Should the Mavs trade for Kobe?  No doubt they are more likely to win a championship with him even if it was a staight up swap for him and Dirk.  But I take the moral high ground on this one, the injury history, and the drama queen history and say someone else – take him.  Please, someone else – not us . . . not us.

Mike Modano needs 3 points to become The All-Time American Points Leader in NHL History.

Oh and by the way did you know hockey season has already started? 

Rarely

The majority of the time a team allows a kickoff return for a touchdown they lose the game.  Not often does a team win a game when they allow an interception for a touchdown.  It is extremely difficult to win a game when you turn the ball over 5 more times than the other team.  But very Rarely do you win a game when you allow a kickoff return for a touchdown, 2 interceptions for touchdowns, you turn the ball over 5 more times the other team and you are reduced to having to attempt an onside kick with 20 seconds left after failing to convert a 2 point conversion.  And to do this against what ESPN commentators Jaws, T. K. and Mike Tirco think to be a quarterback in his 2nd start who walks on water, adds to the degree of difficulty (actually not really, but they sure were high during the game on a guy who managed 3 points.)

And Rarely do see a once untouchable dynasty’s stalwart in what you know in all likelyhood is his last game (as your manager), not by his own choice.  A manager who has one 4 World Series Titles (as your manager) and been to the playoffs 13 straight years.  13 out of 13, and in baseball which only allows 4 teams to the tourny that’s pretty good.  You see Mariono Rivera and Jorge Posada in the last year of their contracts, you see Derek Jeter the clutch player not be able to pull his team up even knowing his manager,the only manager he’s ever played for, job is on the line.  It’s the craziness of our sports world that we don’t appreciate the good things we got because the good things we got aren’t perfect.

How ’bout them Indians, my hat’s off to ‘em.  You never know how the game is going to go.  Watching Romo throw 5 picks and fumble the ball and still have to be confident enough at the end of the game to help his team win is kind of what sports is about.   And having the Indians go out against the Yankees and perform like they’ve performed all year is encouraging to see, it’s fun to watch.   Saying that I think the Sox will beat them and probably win the World Series.

And thinking about tonight’s, or is it last night’s game, my mind wanders back to week 6 MNF a year ago when the Chicago Bears didn’t score an offensive touchdown and still won the game 20 something to 20 something.   However I don’t think Dick Garrard’s Press Conference could be as entertaining as Dennis Green’s was that night.  Enjoy.

Thanks Coach!

Running It Down

I’m just gonna run down some observations from this sport’s weekend. 

1.  Terrell Owens scored a touchdown to make the score 30 to 13 with a little over 4 minutes left.  He precedes to go to the goal post and use the football as a spy camera knowing the team will get penalized on the following kickoff.  The Dolphins get good field position as a result and score quickly to make it a 30 – 20 game with just a little under 4 minutes left.  I started thinking back to the Washington game last year where it looked like we had things under control and Terrell got some penalities and dropped an easy touchdown catch and we ended up losing the game.  But if you want to know why he did it you just had to tune into Sunday Night Football where it was listed among their top 3 plays of the day.

2.  Marion Barber scored the last touchdown to pull the game to 37 – 20, it was his second touchdown of the day.  I like Terrell’s nickname for him, Marion Barbarian or Marion The Barbarian.  He’s totally uncivilized in his running style.  Although after a big collision between him and a defensive player he gives the defensive player a high five – very civilized.

3.  And what about that fight yesterday with the Rangers and A’s.  I hadn’t seen the previous two hit by pitches Nick received in this series, but when I heard that he had gotten very upset after being grazed in the previous game and then saw Vicente throw way inside on the first pitch, I knew that Nick was going to end up getting beaned.  I don’t know for sure that’s why Vicente thew at him, but if the pitch just grazes you and you moan about and act hissed off, Vicente will really give you something to moan about.  I usually like when Vicente does this because he throws at people we all can hate like A. J. Piersynski and Juan Rivera, and he doesn’t throw at their heads.  But I like Nick Swisher and he definitly had a right to charge even though he seemed to realize going face to face with Padilla would be a mistake.  So he ended up diving at his feet and the whole thing kind of looked silly.  I think Salty saved Swisher from getting beat down, while he was down, by jumping on top of him.  Then Vicente crawled out looking kind of weak, but just not wanting to get piled on by everyone else.

4.  Which leads to why Michael Young looked so unhappy when he hit that grand slam.  That was the logical spot he would of received his mandatory beaning, right in that AB normally.  The last game of the season between these two teams, the 8th inning and a guy who throws 95 plus on the mound.  Even with the bases loaded.  Niether team is playing for anything right now and Michael had to expect to get hit there, but this story will probably pick back up next season when he does get hit for Padilla hitting Swisher.

5.  The Browns beat the Bengals 51 – 45.  My question, Aren’t Romeo Crenell and Marvin Lewis defensive Geniuses?  I mean was Lewis not the defensive genius behind the Ravens shutdown defense?  And was Crenell not one of the defensive geniuses benhind the Patriots defensive schemes?  I mean along with Belichick and the spy cameras and the defensive holding of wide receivers?  Which leads me to wasn’t Brian Billick, Head Coach of the Ravens, an offensive coach before he got to the Ravens?  After all he was offensive cordinator for the Vikings when they had Moss, Carter and Robert Smith racking up all those yards.  And Pete Carroll was a defensive coach till he went to USC and had to turn over defensive play calling to someone else after he couldn’t stop Vince Young in the championship game.  I geuss your area of genius has a lot to do with the players you have and your situation.

6.  The WNBA Championship series just ended with Pheonix beating Detroit in a game 7 at Detroit.  This is important because Pheonix is the first team in WNBA history to claim the title on the road.  This is due to the WNBA’s notoriously ruckus fans.  How Pheonix was able to go into that enviroment and win the title is beyond me.  My hat is off to them.